


abundance

by ignitesthestars



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 07:12:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14038950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ignitesthestars/pseuds/ignitesthestars
Summary: It’s not about control.Kaz twitches his eyebrow in disbelief, because not being in control and emotional expression are both unimaginable to him. But Inej doesn’t need Kaz to believe her (isn’t sure about ascribing the word ‘need’ to her relationship with Kaz at all), so she just rolls her eyes at him, picking up her sketchbook and heading on her way.It’s about beauty.





	abundance

It’s not about control.

Kaz twitches his eyebrow in disbelief, because not being in control and emotional expression are both unimaginable to him. But Inej doesn’t need Kaz to believe her (isn’t sure about ascribing the word ‘need’ to her relationship with Kaz at all), so she just rolls her eyes at him, picking up her sketchbook and heading on her way.

It’s about beauty.

Inej has spent years reclaiming her body by forging it into a weapon. _No one will hurt me again_ isn’t exactly a mantra, but she can’t deny the impetus between hours at the gym, the training with actual weapons. It’s been worth it for the ability to walk down the street with confidence, but looking in the mirror somehow feels more difficult.

Kaz has never had a problem staring what he’s become directly in the face. Inej will leave the control to him; she’s looking for a different kind of life.

Finding light in little things has been surprisingly easy. Not that her first attempt at drawing an apple was amazing or anything, but she enjoys the clarity that comes with spending time just...looking at an object. Taking it in, the way it impacts on its environment and vice versa, the tiny variations that change something from _an_ apple to _this_ apple.

There’s a strange sort of peace in all of it, and as the weeks roll on and the life drawing class looms closer and closer, Inej thinks maybe she’s ready to see the beauty in this as well.

She is not ready.

Not much surprises Inej these days, but Nina Zenik takes her fucking breath away. 

She’s seen beautiful girls before, obviously. It’s not something she’s focused on in the last few years, just because it feels too much like assessing different cuts of meat, leaves a sour taste in the back of her mouth. But beauty is beauty and girls are girls, so of course she’s had the opportunity to _notice_ before.

There’s no noticing Nina. She doesn’t give you the chance. She rushes into the class with a beignet in one hand, an apology for being late dusting full lips alongside a scattering of icing sugar. The instructor waves her hand generously, and Nina flops onto a chair ready for her, snorting at the sound of protest the wood lets out before letting her silk robe slip off her shoulders and the rest of her.

Inej’s attention is grabbed, shaken around, and release is not granted. She spends the first five minutes just - just looking. Her hand trembles, overcome by the task in front of it, and that’s when she realises that Nina is looking at her.

Not just looking at her. Looking at Inej looking at Nina, her eyes the most remarkable green and sparkling with absolute delight at having caught her out. Inej flushes hot and cold all at once, waiting for the wave of shame to crest and come crashing down over her. Nina yawns, casting a restless eye around the rest of the class.

“It’s fine, you know,” she announces. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I was bothered by people looking at me.”

There’s a flurry of papers and coughing that suggests that maybe Inej isn’t the only one captivated by the abundance of this woman, but she’s the one that Nina’s gaze finally settles on again.

She winks.

Inej ducks her head, a dusting of red on her cheeks and a small grin decorating her mouth. When she finally sets charcoal to paper, the tremble is gone.


End file.
